An in memory donation — sometimes called a tribute donation, a memorial donation for a pet, or simply giving in memory — is a charitable gift made in the name of a much-loved animal who has died. It is one of the oldest forms of philanthropy and, for many supporters, one of the most personal. This guide explains how in memory giving works, what a pet memorial can look like, and how to do it through WARN.
What is in-memory giving?
In-memory giving is a donation made in someone's name after they have died. Historically it was reserved for people; today, with growing recognition of the grief that follows pet loss, more and more supporters use it to remember a pet. The gift is paid to a charity of your choice, the charity records the tribute in the animal's name, and the funds are directed to work that honours the memory. Some charities send a card to confirm the gift. Some publish the animal's name on a public memorial wall, with the family's permission.
Why give in memory of a pet?
People give in memory for many reasons. Some find that doing something concrete for another animal eases the early weeks of grief. Some prefer it to flowers at a funeral or wake. Some want to mark the anniversary of a pet's death in a quiet, private way. Whatever the reason, an in-memory donation is a way of saying that the love did not stop when the animal did.
How WARN's in-memory giving is different
Most in-memory donations are general — they go to "the charity's work". WARN's in memory giving is matched to the same species your pet belonged to:
- In memory of a cat → community cat rescue, vaccination, and humane catch-neuter-vaccinate-return across our planned Global Cat Protection Appeal.
- In memory of a dog → street-dog welfare in Karachi through our planned Karachi street dogs appeal.
- In memory of a horse or donkey → mobile veterinary clinics for working equines through our planned Working Equines Appeal.
- In memory of a rabbit, hamster or other small pet → confiscated-wildlife veterinary triage and partner sanctuary capacity through our planned Slow Loris Appeal.
The animal you loved helps an animal like them, somewhere they are needed most.
How to give in memory of a pet: step by step
- Email WARN at [email protected] with your pet's first name and species.
- Choose how to give. A one-off gift in their memory, a name on the pet memorial wall, or a free funeral collection PDF for a service or wake.
- (Optional) Add your pet to the memorial wall. First names only, opt-in, and reviewed before publication.
What about funeral collections?
If you would like mourners at a service or wake to give in memory rather than send flowers, WARN provides a free funeral collection PDF. It explains how guests can give online, includes suggested wording for the order of service, and contains no postal envelopes. We do not send paper packs by post — the saving goes to animals.
Will WARN keep contacting families?
No. Giving in memory is a sensitive moment and should not be followed by marketing. WARN does not contact in-memory supporters again unless they explicitly ask to be kept in touch. This is a deliberate policy.
Pet loss support
If you are reading this in the first hours or days after losing an animal, we are so sorry. Many supporters tell us that doing something concrete in their pet's memory eases the early weeks — but there is no hurry, and grief is real grief. We have written a short, sensitive guide on pet loss support, covering what to do practically and emotionally when an animal you love dies.
Start an in-memory tribute
WARN's online donation pages are not yet open — we are finalising our UK charity registration before accepting public funds. To start a tribute, add a name to the pet memorial wall, or request a free funeral collection PDF, please visit our In memory giving page or email [email protected]. We reply personally to every message.
Remember a much-loved animal
An in memory donation with WARN is matched to the same species your pet belonged to. Visit the In memory giving page to choose how you would like to remember them, or see the pet memorial wall.
